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Weird World: Jack Russell in the dog house for his drinking
Squiffy the naughty Jack Russell had to be put in the dog house - after the cheeky hound kept stealing beer from the punters in his local pub.
The seven-year-old terrier is a well-loved regular at the watering hole but owner Robert Hodgson had to impose a week-long ban on the pesky pooch after discovering he has a penchant for Guinness and Irish stout.
The loveable rogue is so fond of his ales that he escaped from the garden during his booze embargo and meandered through the village to get to his favourite haunt - with Robert finding him outside waiting to get in.
Now regulars have bought him a doggy-sized tankard so he can have a drop of his favourite tipple without ruining other peoples' pints.
Robert, 56, said: We always go to the pub after a walk and he gets excited as we get nearer to the pub because he knows he is going to see his friends.
"He is such a loveable character and all the regulars love him, he jumps on the stool and sits next to me at the bar.
"But we were in the pub recently and he was sat on his stool beside me as usual, I was talking to someone and when I turned round my glass was
half-empty.
"Squiffy was sat there with a sheepish look on his face the little blighter had helped himself. He had been stealing little slurps from others as well.
"After that I stopped taking him in the pub for a week or so to teach him a lesson, which I don't think he was too pleased about.
"I let him out in the garden a few days later and after about 10 minutes or so I realised he had gone.
"I walked down the street looking for him and calling his name and got to the
pub.
"Squiffy was sat in the beer garden looking up at the front door he looked like he was waiting for it to open.
"I gave him a good telling off and I think he knew he was in the dog house as he has behaved himself ever since".
Squiffy's local is The Craven Arms in Appletreewick, where he is warmly welcomed by staff and customers when he comes in.
Robert and his friends have seen the funny side of Squiffy's antics and now his booze ban is up they bought him a pewter tankard.
Robert said: "After his cheeky slurp of my pint I keep a more watchful eye on him and just put a couple of drops of beer in his water which keeps him happy.
"I always water down the drinks for Squiffy and the tankard is very small so he can't drink too much and I wouldn't want to cause him any harm because he's my best friend.
"A drop of Guinness is his favourite, he likes any kind of stout but he won't touch cider or lager, he turns his nose up at that."
Robert works as a chef but in the past has run several pubs with his wife, Jo, and thinks Squiffy's taste for booze is down to him growing up in a pub.
He said: "He's such a character, everybody loves him and he always gets a fuss when we go in the pub.
"He laps up the attention from all the regulars almost as well as he laps up his Guinness.
"He has a sister called Echo who stays home with my wife, she hasn't really taken to the drink like her brother."
Craven Arms landlord David Aynesworth said Squiffy was always welcome in his
pub.
"He is such a character," said David. He likes to be watching what is going on. I have to be careful not to let him have too much because he really does like his beer.
"Everybody that comes in makes a fuss of him. He is certainly a well-loved dog."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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